Ramaphosa welcomes Modi, other leaders to Global Outlook Council on Water Investments

Johannesburg | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other global leaders to a new global water platform as he said investment in water must no longer be an afterthought at climate and finance discussions.

Ramaphosa invited Modi and other world leaders as Council Members of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a G20 initiative to ensure safe water for all.

“The launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments will see the Africa Water Investment Programme scaled up into a Global Water Investment Platform,” Ramaphosa said as he opened the Africa Water Investment Summit in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The Summit was being held as part of South Africa's presidency of the G20 for 2025.

“Today, we say clearly: Water investment must no longer be an afterthought at climate and finance discussions. It must be at the centre of discussions. It must be financed, tracked and championed,” Ramaphosa said The newly launched platform will serve as the world's premier high-level political and investment platform on water that will track progress, unlock finance, report annually and align efforts across the G20, UN, multilateral development banks and the private sector, he said.

The Africa Water Investment Summit will endorse a Summit Declaration that commits countries to scale-up investments, improve governance and increase accountability in the water sector.

Among other goals of the Summit is to position water at the highest levels of the global political and financial agenda from G20 and COP30 to the UN 2026 Water Conference and beyond, he said.

“Let us build a world where water is recognised as a human right and not weaponised against women, children and communities. If we rise together, water can become not just a means of survival but a driver of economic transformation, innovation and peace,” Ramaphosa added. Pointing out that the Summit is bringing Africa, he said, “Let us leave this Summit with deals, pipelines, partnerships and a permanent global mechanism to sustain the momentum.”

Apart from Prime Minister Modi, the South African president announced President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom as Council members.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, President Joao Lourenco of Angola and African Union Chair, and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, who is co-host of the UN 2026 Water Conference, were announced as the other Council members.